Lebanese continue to fearlessly march home in south despite Israeli aggression

By Hiba Morad

As hundreds of people pitched tents and spent Sunday night on the outskirts of their villages and towns in southern Lebanon, thousands more from Dahiyeh, Bekaa and beyond marched on Monday, determined to reclaim their homes and force the Israeli occupation army to retreat.

A sea of cars and minibusses, proudly draped in Hezbollah and Lebanese flags, flowed down the highway to south Lebanon on Monday morning, with high-volume resistance songs blaring from speakers.

Men, women, and children lined the streets, distributing sweets and celebrating the long-awaited return and liberation of the south, a day after the 60-day truce and withdrawal date for the occupation ended.

Meanwhile, the White House announced an extension of the ceasefire agreement to February 18, amid a sluggish Israeli withdrawal and escalating border tensions.

Yet, the Lebanese people remain steadfast, their determination unwavering in their march homeward, despite at least 25 people being martyred by the Israeli military on Sunday on their way home.

On Monday morning, caretaker Lebanese Labor Minister Mustafa Bayram made it emphatically clear: the ceasefire extension does not equate to tolerating an Israeli military presence on Lebanese soil.

At 6 a.m. local time, Ahlam and her family set out, reaching the entrance of their village, Aitaroun. By 1:30 p.m., they were still waiting. Israeli forces had barricaded the entrance with towering sand barriers.

Like Ahlam, many others remain stranded on the outskirts of Aitaroun and nearby villages, their patience tested but their resolve unshaken.

Mayors of these towns said they received ominous phone calls from unidentified individuals claiming to be Israelis, warning them against allowing civilians to return to their homes along the border with occupied Palestine.

“We have been here since almost 8:00 a.m., but we have not succeeded in entering our town yet. We will not leave, and we are here to liberate our lands with our bare hands. As you can see, I have no weapons, nor does anyone around me,” Ahlam told the Press TV website.

With unwavering resolve, Lebanese people stood just meters away from Merkava military tanks and Israeli occupation soldiers on Sunday and Monday, demanding – empty-handed yet defiant – that the occupiers leave the land of their ancestors.

A powerful and evocative video of a Lebanese woman spread like wildfire on social media on Sunday, capturing a moment of sheer determination and unshakeable spirit.

 Just a few meters from a Merkava tank, she stood her ground, her voice ringing with unshakable conviction. “This is our land, our land,” she said, bending down to pick up a stone, a sign of resistance.

Ahlam also told the Press TV website that Israeli occupation soldiers had fired toward the jam-packed streets at the entrance of Aitaroun, attempting to instill fear in people heading home.

But fear had no place in their hearts. “We are not scared. We are ready to be martyred, but we are not ready to lose our land,” she said, her words echoing the spirit of defiance that ran through the crowd.

Aitaroun, one of the many border villages in southern Lebanon, has borne the brunt of relentless Israeli attacks and bombardment since September last year, yet its people remain unbowed.

Tamam, another determined young man at the entrance of Aitaroun, termed it a “miracle.”

“We, people with empty hands, are standing in the face of the Merkavas and the snipers, but we are not afraid. Yesterday, we managed to enter Aitaroun to a certain point, but then the Israelis started firing at us, and a man was shot right in front of my eyes,” she told the Press TV website.

“But I did not care; I did not retreat until I was asked to do so by the Lebanese army.”

Her defiance was clear in her words, remembering the martyred leader of the Lebanese resistance.

“Sayyed Hassan (Nasrallah) is the talk of the town here. He is here with us. We will not surrender, we will not despair, and we will not give up on our land. Sayyed Hassan has always protected us, and now we are his followers and students,” she stated.

“The time has come for us to show the world who we are. We do not do injustice to anyone, but we also do not allow anyone to bully us, occupy our land, or think they are superior.”

Photos of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah are everywhere – adorning cars, lining the streets, and clutched tightly in the hands of people, young and old, as symbols of unwavering allegiance and defiance.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese army has been leading convoys of returnees back to the border town of Mais al-Jabal since the early morning hours.

 “We are not afraid, and we will not listen to the dictations of Trump telling us when we are allowed to come back to our land. Let them say all they want; we are the people of this land, and to it, we shall return forever,” Mariam, hailing from the heart of Mais al-Jabal, told the Press TV website.

Despite the slow but expected withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Mais al-Jabal, locals report that gunfire still erupts sporadically – a reminder of an enemy reluctant to relinquish its grip.

As captured in videos and recounted by eyewitnesses, the Lebanese army is preparing for deployment in several key neighborhoods, including Houla, Markaba, and Mais al-Jabal.

But the transition has not been without bloodshed. At the entrance of Houla, Israeli soldiers fired at Lebanese civilians, injuring several, while ambulances raced against time to evacuate the wounded.

In Khiam, a surge of determination filled the streets as people entered various neighborhoods, waving Hezbollah and Lebanese flags from cars and motorcycles.

Their presence was a statement –one of ownership, defiance, and an unyielding connection to the land. Yet, Israeli occupation forces still loomed in other parts of the town, their shadow refusing to fade.

“We are the most dangerous weapon Hezbollah has. We do not need missiles or guns. We have willpower and adherence to our people and land, and we have a good Lebanese army. Look at them, helping and protecting us,” Hussein from Khiam told the Press TV website.

Despite the ceasefire agreement and the deadline for Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory—set for Sunday at 4 a.m. local time (GMT 02:00)—the Israeli regime brazenly refused to adhere to it.

An Israeli military spokesperson issued a warning, urging people to stay away from their homes in southern Lebanon, even though occupation forces were obligated to withdraw and allow their return.

But the people of Kfar Kila, Khiam, Aitaroun, Mais al-Jabal, Houla, and neighboring areas refused to be deterred. In a display of unshakable resilience, they marched back to their land on Sunday and Monday, undaunted by the threats hanging over them.

The response from occupation forces was as brutal as it was predictable—bullets rained down indiscriminately. At least 25 lives were lost, more than 90 others wounded on Sunday alone.

On Monday, another civilian was martyred, and more were injured, according to the latest reports.

In Lebanon, frustration mounts as the new government in Beirut struggles to enforce the ceasefire agreement and compel the Israeli regime to retreat, according to observers.

But for the people, the path forward is clear: they will not wait for negotiations, nor will they beg for justice. Instead, they are determined to reclaim their homeland—on their terms, as soon as possible.

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